Nurses at two Hamilton long-term care homes run by the city are appealing to the mayor and councillors to settle a contract that has been delayed for years.

Retention and recruitment are “constant issues” at Macassa and Wentworth lodges, says the union, because the unsettled contract has left the wages of about 60 registered nurses (RN) and nurse practitioners (NP) below other area homes.

“When there is high staff turnover, residents lose the consistency of the familiar faces who support them in their journey,” said Gloria Warren, co-ordinator for Local 50 of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA). “It harms the quality of care they receive.”

Warren made a delegation to the emergency and community services committee on Nov. 13 — the same day the city broke ground on a $61.4-million r

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